After Midnight

Chapter 28- Star

His lips linger on mine as he kisses me goodbye. I feel a rush of emotions as he pulls away and smiles at me. My heart flutters, and I smile back before heading into my class. I take a seat, and Lilly runs up, taking the seat next to me. "Hey,"

"Hey," I say as I take out my binder.

I look around the class, and every girl is looking in my direction. I raise a brow and wonder why they are all staring at me. "Why are they all looking at me?" I quietly ask Lilly.

"Oh, don't mind them. Rumours were that Gage Moon never settled down with one girl. That he was just, well, a really good one night stand." She looks at them and says, "I guess they're confused as to how you got him." She looks at me, and I sink into my seat. "So, tell me. How did you get him? He was all over you, looking at you like you were the only girl in the room." She props her elbow on the table and rests on her hand as she smiles.

"Sorry, but I don't think that's anyone's business. I mean, what Gage and I do is between us. no one else." She nods her head in understanding.

"You're right. Sorry, but just to warn you, most of these girls only applied to this school to get to him." I roll my eyes and am thankful when the professor walks in. I grab my pen and start taking notes, trying to focus on the lecture and ignore the gossip around me. It's not my business who these girls are interested in.

☾

Time passes quickly, and I'm grateful to be out of class. I take my time gathering my stuff and watch as the girls leave the class. Each and every one of them passing Gage – who stands at the door – smiling and trying to talk to him. I can't help but wonder if Gage is interested in any of them.

One girl tries a little too hard, and as I look at her, it's the same girl from his party the other night, when he caught me looking out my window. It's clear that he's popular among the girls.

I grab my bag and walk toward the door. Gage looks at me, and a smile crosses his face as if I'm the only thing he sees. The girl tries to get his attention once again as she grabs his arm, but he shakes her off and says, "Don't, it's disrespectful to my girlfriend." She rolls her eyes.

"Who? Her? Oh, come on, Gage. I know all about your bad reputation. You and I can have so much fun." She says this to him before giving me the dirtiest look. I take a deep breath, and I see Laura and Ace behind her.

Stepping out the door, I brush past the girl and Gage with a determined stride; he quickly grabs my arm and spins me around, pressing his lips on mine. I feel a rush of excitement and confusion as I kiss him back, forgetting about the girl and everyone else around us.

As we pull apart, his lips curve into a smile that leaves me gasping for air. My gaze shifts towards the girl, whose arms are tightly folded and a veil of fury masks her countenance. With a smile on my face, I draw Gage closer to me and press my lips against his once more.

He smiles as he says, "You like playing games, don't you?"

"Well, when bitches think they can be all over my man, then yeah, I do." I smile, "So you really are the school fuckboy." I say as we walk, he begins to laugh and walks behind me as he wraps his arms around my waist.

"I used to be, but now I'm only yours." He whispers in my ear before kissing my cheek. I internally roll my eyes and continue walking. He takes my hand and intertwines his fingers with mine.

"We've got twenty minutes before our next class. What do you want to do?" He asks me. I shrug my shoulders, and a sinister look covers his face. "What?" I ask him, a little bit scared of his answer.

His grip on my hand tightens. He says, "You'll find out soon enough," smiling, and starts leading me towards a dark alleyway behind the school campus. He backs me up against the wall, and I feel his breath on my skin as his lips brush mine. His tongue parts out mouths, and I'm consumed by him.

"Any minute I have with you alone, I'll take it," he says as he kisses my neck. His grip tightens on my waist. I know we shouldn't be doing this here, but my body betrays me as I succumb to his touch.

His hand glides down the front of my leggings, slipping underneath and finding its way to the area that yearns for his touch. I attempt to resist him, yet his touch proves to be too intoxicating. The compulsion to continue despite the risk of being discovered is undeniable, a primal urge that cannot be ignored.

His fingers dance with a spellbinding grace, and with every caress, my body quivers. As I draw nearer, a wave of delight washes over me, and a gentle sigh escapes my lips.

He smirks and licks his lips. "You're an asshole," I tell him as he stops his teasing.

"So, I've been told," he says as I push him away and grab my bag.

"Babe!" He grabs my arm and turns me to face him. "I'm sorry, but if you want me to continue, you're going to have to miss your next class." He pulls me to his chest and whispers, "Because there is so much more that I want to do to you." I smack his chest and walk away.

As I enter the building, I notice that Ace is seated in the classroom. As I survey the area, I notice that there are only two vacant seats, and they happen to be situated next to him. Gage walks into the room and asks Ace to move over, then he smiles at me. I roll my eyes. I take a seat and whisper,

"You're lucky I'm still agreeing to be your lab partner after the shit you just pulled." I press my lips together. He smiles and wraps his arm around my shoulder and kisses my hair. "I'm sorry, I love you." He says.

"Did Star just swear?" Ace says as he gasps, sarcasm filling the air. I roll my eyes and sit there as the teacher talks about what he expects from us. He singles me out as he introduces me as the genius kid in his class. I can feel the eyes of my classmates on me as the teacher goes on and on about my academic achievements. I try to shrink into my seat, wishing I could disappear. My face goes red as everyone looks at me. Gage wraps his arm around my shoulder and smiles.

"That's his girl!" Ace shouts. I roll my eyes and sink back into my chair. wishing that class would end soon. The teacher finally stops and continues on with his lecture.

I take a deep breath and try to focus on what he's saying, but my mind is still reeling from the embarrassment. Gage's touch is comforting, but it also adds to my discomfort. I don't want to be known as "his girl" or anyone's possession. I want to be my own person, but it feels like everyone in this class sees me as just an extension of him.

I try to shake off those thoughts and refocus on the lecture, but my mind keeps wandering. It's frustrating to feel like I'm not in control of how others perceive me. I wish I could just disappear into the background and not draw any attention. Maybe then I could just focus on my studies and not have to deal with the drama that comes with being in a relationship. But at the same time, I can't deny that I care for Gage deeply and enjoy spending time with him. It's just a tricky balance to maintain.